I'm hosting a playdate to practice strategies for preparing your children for the pediatrician, and would love to hear people's ideas.

Essentially, I'd like to suggest that we know what is going to happen at the appointment (know which vaccines if any are being given), figure out what is the most traumatic for your kid and have that be the thing that goes last, figure out what is unnecessary (my MD does a well-visit rectal temp, which seriously seems useless and not fun for the kiddo) and find age appropriate ways to explain what is happening and giving comfort.

Also, I'd like to practice conversations with the pediatrician to slow them down and stop the exam for a minute if your kid is crying.

Leela is basically a complete mess from start to finish at the pediatrician, and our ped just keeps going "Oh you're fine!" and gets the appointment over as quick as she can. Which is fine, but I wonder if maybe it would be better to soothe them a bit in the interim?

I would really appreciate thoughts! Thank you all in advance <3

_________________My oven is bigger on the inside, and it produces lots of wibbly wobbly, cake wakey... stuff. - The PoopieB.

I don't have much advice since we lucked out and our pediatrician is super hippie, but they always make sure to do Prevnar (the pneumococcal vax) last because it really stings and then we can nurse immediately after.

At both pediatricians they have done any vax last. I had skipped out in hep A before, if I hadn't, grey would be totally done by now, since I had waited he has to have that one at his two year appointment too. I told him before the appointment that he had to get a shot and it would hurt for a minute, I reminded him right before it happened and he still screamed. Other than that he is fine at the doctor. Everyday I usually try and talk to Hm about what we have panned for that day and I explain in reader detail as each event happens. He seems to do better when we chat about things. And big events, like the doctor or traveling, I will talk about for a couple days ahead of time. I think as he gets older I won't do that, but since he isn't scared at this point, it helps him to figure out what it means to go in an airplane or whatever.

Oh, I'm sorry Leela has such a rough time of it. We went Tuesday and it was the worst well visit we had ever had, just because she is so much more aware and holding still (even for a minute) is such a challenge. My ped is good about taking her time with us. She is relaxed and playful and saves the shot for last and then we nurse immediately. No rectal temps! Why would she do that at a well visit?

I was reading something the other day about how important it is to be calm yourself, as the baby takes so much energy from you. Easier said than done when your little darling is suffering.

We hit the doctor jackpot with E-- he forking loves going to the doctor, has never minded vaccinations, etc.

M is the opposite. He starts crying pretty much the minute we get there. What he REALLY hates is being put up on the exam table. Our pediatrician observed this at one of our checks (the first time we could narrow down what was upsetting him) and suggested I hold the baby in my lap while he checked him out instead. Much better. I already held him during shots.

I would definitely try to opt out of the rectal temp! That is so weird and inconvenient for everyone involved. And temperature isn't really important for a well baby visit.

I have to say, I am so happy with our pediatrician's office. The nurses and our doctor are all very patient and engage with Inez instead of just plowing ahead. It typically goes: nurse comes in to do weight/height/head circumference and take the little checklist, doctor comes in and talks to me and engages with Inez (has her play with some toys to assess various milestones, etc.), then he does the exam (he is quick without seeming rushed, and very gentle), he leaves and the nurse comes back to do vaccines if there are any that visit. I have always just nursed or taken time to soothe her or whatever when she's not having it, without discussing it with them. I guess if I felt like I needed to say something, I would probably tell them we were pausing for a minute as I simultaneously did what I needed to do?

As far as mitigating the kid's stress, we talk about how quick the unfun parts are going to be and - now that she's older - why they are necessary. The doctor also does things like shine the light in my ear, too, or show her his stethoscope and let her touch it first.

Cute story: We just had her 2-year visit on Monday and she was kind of a mess for the first part of it (she was really tired and wanted to nurse/nap), rallied a little and then had a pretty brutal time with her shot and devolved into tears again. When it was over and I was getting her dressed as she sobbed, she said "Doc hurt Inez!" So I said that sometimes we do things at the doctor that aren't fun and maybe even hurt a little, but that doctors are people who help us and make sure we are healthy and safe. She thought about it for a minute and then gave me this brave little smile and said "Doc help Inez! Bye bye, doc!"

Say no to things that make you uncomfortable and let them know you will call or maike an appt to come back in a week to discuss something you're not sure of. In general, ask before tests what the test involves, in detail, and whether it will affect treatment. If it won't, think about skipping it.

Rectal temp, just no. What century are they in? They make great accurate ear thermometers these days.

If two vax, do them at the same time, one in each leg. You need two nurses for this. Oral vax before needles or it's not happening.

Not sure if Leela is old enough for this to help, but Kai loooves the episode of Sid the Science kid about flu shots. It's the only one free on Netflix and Amazon prime instant. Last time we went to the ped he got some shots and I said 'just like sid!" It didn't help much in the moment but I think it made him feel better afterwards.

_________________I'm not asking for utopian dreams...just a little peace in this world. That's a logical thing. - Deee-Lite

Rectal temp, just no. What century are they in? They make great accurate ear thermometers these days.

If two vax, do them at the same time, one in each leg. You need two nurses for this. Oral vax before needles or it's not happening.

Both of these are very wise.

We had really great peds and many, many visits to practice in. They had the nurses do the shots, not the doctor, (rude but helpful) and we spent the majority of time with the doctor. When my daughter started to get terrified of the doctor (which I think many kids do no matter how good the doc is), the doctor did every thing to me first, then to the kid. looked in my throat, my ears, poked my belly.

With my second daughter we had extensive bloodwork needs and her veins were very difficult, so we tried all sorts of things. Nothing really makes it any easier. I donate blood regularly and sometimes it hurts, no matter how well-intentioned the phleb is.